Big Political Responsibility
In response to the establishment of the Mediterranean Union Lothar Bisky, leader of the party DIE LINKE and the European Left, states:
On the 13th of July, the European Union took on a huge political responsibility and awakened big hopes throughout the world. These hopes cannot be let down.
The Mediterranean Union’s request to focus on integration instead of exclusion is supported by DIE LINKE and the European Left. We have demanded for a long time an intensive, collective commitment from the EU for the peace process in the Middle East and we support the idea of a permanent conference for the security and cooperation between the states in the Middle East. There cannot be any more military in the region, but rather more cooperation and democratization in all areas of societal life under the collaboration of all state and civil society actors. If Sarkozy’s yesterday’s approach goes in this direction, the Mediterranean Union could play a specific role.
As a first step, six projects were brought to life in Paris, ranging from the improvement of infrastructure to the production of solar energy. These projects must primarily be directed towards the Mediterranean abutters as well so that the social and environmental situation improves. A kind of cyclical-stimulation-program for big concerns in Europe would be a false signal, as well as the strengthening of the EU refugee and migration politics. On the contrary, the Mediterranean Union must make a stand so that thousands of people do not die at the borders of the EU.
DIE LINKE believes concrete projects to be useful in serving and being able to contribute to the betterment of people’s living conditions during the development of the abutter states, especially in the North African and Arabic region. This includes an expansion of political and cultural dialogs. At the same time, this could establish or perpetuate trust between the until recently enemy neighbour states.
With the founding of the Mediterranean Union, the EU has taken on the responsibility of becoming the peacemaking power for the Middle East. DIE LINKE emphatically supports this request. All possibilities -economical, political and cultural- have to be used for the improvement of the explosive position the Middle East is in. Success will only be possible when all EU member states get involved and in one voice speak out not only in Israel, Palestine, and the Arabic neighboring states as well as the USA and other non Mediterranean Union member-states of the so-called Middle East quarter. Concrete action is essential.